Spout closure



SPOUT CLOSURE Mark K. Dresden and Robert E. Snyder, Cluster, Pa.

assignors to A. H.Wirz, Inc. Chester, Pa. a corporation of Pennsylvania- Applikation Inne 17, 1952 Serial N0. 294,097 1 Claim. (C1, 222-541 The present invention relates t o spout closures for liquid containers, parti'cularly suited to lighter fluid and oil cans.

A pnrposeof the invention is to produceaspout elosure Which will provide an original closure integral whmliespout at the end of the spout, and Will be easilV opened by the consumer and then recl'osed.

-' In the drawii1gs we have chbsen=ioillhstrate one only of the numerous embodiments in which nur invention may appear; selecting the: forms shoWn from the= stand-- points of convenience in illustration; satisfxctory*opera tion and clear demonstration of the principles involved. Figure lgis a fragmentary perspective of the closure of the invention applied' to an oil. or lighten fluid can.

Figure 2 is an axial section cf the elosure of the invenden.

Figure 3 i'sa fragmentaiy eIevation, partly in.axi'alsecdon, showihg the separation betweenthe spout and the plug Figure 4 a viiaw si'milar to Figure 3 showing, the plug i11serted in the end of the spout.

Figure 5 is a top lan view of Figure 4.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

Spout closures a.re widely used on liquid containers such as oil cans, bottles and vials, for dispensing liquids such as lighter fluids, oils, medicinal and pharmaceutical liquids and the like. lt has been customary in the prior art to employ spout closures having a body threaded or otherwise secured to the container, and a protruding spout providing threads at the outer end. A small cap is threaded on the outer end of the spout to close it. This construction ofiers a number of difiiculties.

The threaded closure at the end of the spout being comparatively small, has in some cases not been accurately made, and leakage has occurred during merchandising, resulting in loss of the contents and damage to other goods. In an eifort to overcome this, the threads have sometimes been tightened very tight, so that it is diflicult to remove the cap without the use of pliers, and the application of pliers frequently mars the cap and the spout. Because of the threading, the reapplication of the cap is often troublesome.

The improvement of a Separate closure on a spout is also an additional element of expense.

The present invention is designed to provide an hermetid seal at the end of the spout during merchandising,

and oppositely convergin}; annulrWall's 28 and 30 insid'e 2,742,202 Patenied Apr. 17, 1956 so that leakage Cannot occur while the con1aineris in transit or in the stete. Instead"of fequiring unscrewing to open, the user simply cuts oif the end of the sp'ou1. to

open the spout, and the cuf-oifend forms a plug which, when reversed and" insertedinto the openi1ig, tightly closes the spout against later leakage.

In some cases it is neces'sa-ry to use drop application. For exarnple oil applied to certain electric moto rs must be measured bythe drop. Dropping is also common with pharmaceutical preparations. The plug of the presenf invention can conveniently be relaxed and permits accurate' control of droppingfrotn the end of the spout, withont the diificulty and uncertainty present in dropping from a threaded capped spout; 3

' The plug of the invention also functions satisfactorily as an applicator. The spout and plug'constrnction of the inventionis suitably integral andmade ofelastmer. The body portion has flanges whik:h engage 011 the lip cf a can or the Iike. Frorn the body ortion a progressively tapering hollow spout extend's, terminatihg at a point wlrere a hub-Iike plug handle is attachrd. The spout is. integrally connected to the handle and an external' groove preferably surrounds the bare between the spout and the handle; The spout desirably is provided with a progressively tapering knurled portion'on the outside. Beyond' the hole the spout connects with a plug. There is first a steeplyfilletedportin, thna graduallytaperingportibn and finally an abruptly convexly curving portion whicl1 approaches a point; The gradilally tapering portioxi of the plug is ada;ited to fit in and el'ose the hole when the handle is cut oil from the spout.-

As shnwn in Fi'gure 1', the clbsre 20 of the invention is applied on any suitable container, such as a lighter fluicl The present invention is not concerned witlr the nianner of attachment cf the cfosure to the container, and we have shown a clincher type.off attachmenlg' without intending to exclude threadedland otiier ttachments; The spout may[ he attached by any conveniei1t metlibd. The attachment of the body in accordance with the invention is'accomplished By a resilient fiange 25 cf annular form having an integral gripping ring 26 whicil cljii1ches on' the lip 23 cf the eontainer. V A shonlder 27 cI'oses the end cf the cap,

the shoulder grip against the end of the lip 23 of the container. A hollow spout 31 protrudes from the center of the shoulder 27 in the direction away from the flange.

From the standpoint of obtaining adequate clincher engagement in the flange and also from the standpoint or securing good sealing by the plug as later explained, it is very desirable to make the entire closure of elastomer. The preferred elastomer is polyethylene, since it provides the necessary resilience, and is substantially inert to many oils and other liquids. The closure of the invention may also be produced from other elastomers such as rubber and synthetic rubber such as buna S, buna N, neoprene or thiokol. It is of course evident that where oil is to be uSed in the container, the n1bber employed, if rubber is used, should be one having a minimum oil swell and compounded for this purpose.

The spout has a central wund channel 32 suitably of large size, which communicates at one end with the interior of the container, and desirably has a taperecl interior wall 33 to promote streamline flow. The spout desirably tapers both exteriorly and internally along its side wall 34, and at the outer end has an abruptly inwardly extending end closure wall 35. A hole 36 extends through the end closure wall 35 at the end cf the spout and extends into and terminates in a hub-like handle 37 integral with the spout and in prolongation thereof on the same ax1s.

Between the handle and the spout the closure is desirably provided with an external annular groove 38 which, as later explained, facilitates Severing the handle from the spout.

The handle is externally knurled at 40 to provide flutes and recesses, and the handleis desirably also externally tapered as.shown.

Beyond the handle a plug 41 is integrally joined to the handle and extends in prolongatibn symmetrically on the common axis. The plug 41 has a tapered nose 42 to facilitate insertion into the hole 36 at the end of the spout when the plug is cut off by scvering at the handle. The plug has at an intermediate point a ortion 43 which is of suitable diameter to enter and seal in the hole 36, de-

sirably being slightly larger than the hole so as to stretch the elastic Wall in sealing. At the base of the plug ad joining the handle the plug is suitable gradually outwardly tz1pered o1 filleted at 44, this tapered portion tending to Wedge the outer end of the hole at the end of the spout outwardly to improve the seal when the plug is forced down into the end of the spout. This tapering also prevents the user from cutting Olf the plug from the handle by mistake.

The entire closure is desirably molded from elastomer such as polyethylene in one molding operation, making an integral construction throughout.

In operation, the closure is placed on the Container at any desired stage in operation, after filling the container where the container is filled through the opening closed by the closure, but before filling where the container is filled'in some other way, as for example by sealing the back of a collapsible t1.ibe.

The spout of the invention is believed to find its widest application on cans.

The closure at this stage has the plug hermetically sealed to the spout by the integral joint at 45 inside the groove 38.

When the user desires to dispense the contents; the handle and plug are cut off from the end of the spout. This is facilitated by the groove 38 which guides the knife or scissors 46 in cutting and reduces the section of the wall at that point. The grooveh1ay desirably be indicated by a cardboard 01' other sign or marking having wording such as cut here.

After the fi1'st dispensing is finished and subsequently after each further dispensing operation, the end of the spout is sealed by forcing the plug into the hole 36 as shown in Figures 4 and 5; In this case the plug portion 42, 43 by its slight taper and suitably slight enlargement over the hole seals gainst the hole, and the desired tightness of sealing is obtained by forcing the plug into the hole until the widely tapered portion 44 on the plug tends to wedge the hole outwardly to improve the sealing.

It will be evident that the invention will be usefully applied wherever closures on liquid containers are em- Ployed, and especially wherever spouts are desired. It will cf course be evident that the spout may be lengthened or shortened and in some applications the spout may be negligible and the plug applied close to the body.

In view of our invention and disclosure variations and modifications to rneet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of our invention without copying the structure shown, and we, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall Within the reasonable spirit and scope of Our claim.

Having thus described nur invention what we clairn as new and desire to secure by' Letters Patent is:

A closure for a liquid container, having a body portion, a hollow spout integral With and extending from the body portion, tapering progressively in diminishing diameter away from the body portion and having a hole at the end of the spout, a handleintegral with the spout surrounding the hole and having a tapering knurled ortion on the outside of the handle, there being an external annular groove between the spout and the handle around the hole, and a plug beyond the hole and beyond the handle integral with the handle sharply inwardly fill eted adjacent the handle, gradually tapering beyond the sharply inwardly filleted portion and then steeply convexly curving toward the endthe plug on the gradually tapering ortion having an outside diameter of a size which fits in and seals in the boxe When the handle is severed from the spout, the closure being of elastomer which aids in sealing When the plug is inserted in the hole and the plug wedging the walls cf the hole outwardly to improve the seal.

.References Cited in the file of this patent A UNITED STATES PATENTS Collins Oct. 16, 

